Random Tables

Happy Blog-O-Versary to Me! + FLAILSNAILs comes to NOD

/ jstater / 6 Comments
Image is property of Wizards of the Coast, the darlings

Four very simple items today.

First – it’s my second blog-o-versary! I’ve had a ball with this blog and, I think, created something useful to the RPG community at large. My sincerest thanks to those who read the blog (especially to anyone out there that uses this material in their games), to those who follow the blog, to those who put me in their blogrolls and to those who have purchased some of my nonsense and made one of my dreams com true (still waiting on the jetpack).

Second – I have two groups working their way through the Land of Nod right now playtesting my Blood & Treasure rules. One just crawled into a strange, abandoned trireme they found buried under a mountain (clearly their lives are not in danger) and the other just came up from a delve into the catacombs of Ophir, the Wickedest Little City on the Tepid Sea.

Most importantly, I have now officially signed on to the FLAILSNAILs Convention, and hereby open the gates of Nod to anyone who wants to poke around in it and cause trouble. Right now, I just do play-by-post gaming on Google+, because I have a day job, a family and I spend a fair amount of time writing RPG stuff (if you hadn’t noticed). If you or a group want to delve into Nod and you’re on Google+, just let me know and we’ll work something out. You can even choose the system we use, assuming I own the rules and have the inclination to use it.

ALARUM: A couple people have dropped out of the Google+ Nod game, so there are slots open on the 3rd level Team Blood and the 6th level Team Treasure, if anyone wants to play. Team blood lost an elf fighter and Team Treasure a human cleric, but you can play something different. Team Blood is currently above ground and resting, so a Team Blood player could jump right in. Team Treasure is in the wilderness, but they’ll be returning to civilization soon to re-supply, so a higher level character might have to wait a bit. 

If you want to join in now, just send me an email (jmstater    AT    yahoo    DOT    com) and we’ll make it happen.

Third – Random Things Found Under Foot in the Dungeon (by command of JOESKY)

1) The shed scales of a large reptile (psst – it’s behind you, and its invisible)

2) A puddle of halfling blood (you can tell from the sugar content)

3) A patch of green slime cunningly masquerading as brown mold (don’t ask me how)

4) Bugbear droppings (where did they find corn 300-ft below ground)

5) A pointy hat, lightly singed

6) A wooden holy symbol, broken in half

7) A tentacle (attached to an angry monster, of course)

8) Footprints in the dust that stop where you’re standing

9) The ashes of a lich

10) A flimsy ceramic tile hiding a caltrop

11) A chainmail bikini (with a broken leather strap!)

12) Shards of glass that sparkle like gems (with the reflection of a yellow-pupiled eye staring back at you in each shard)

13) A copper coin (48% chance of being shiny)

14) A puddle of acid with mind-bending effects for those who touch it

15) An anti-shadow cast by an adventurer from the negative zone

16) A silk scarf that smells of sunflowers, the ends tattered and stained with blood

17) The Magna Carta

18) A patch of ice … evil ice!

19) Tomb dust (hold your breath!)

20) Mummy wrappings (pray the owner doesn’t give a tug)

The Wizard’s Brain …

/ jstater / 4 Comments

The Dead Wizard’s Brain …

… has unraveled and now looks like a squishy pink snake; it casts what spells it has left as auras and vibration fields such that all spells have an area of effect of 10-ft. per magic-user level

… is kept in a jar of preservative reagents, plotting and cursing and waiting for the day of rebirth

… was merged with his or her pointy hat and now allows the wizard to control those who wear the hat

… is hidden inside a puzzle box and does not want its revery disturbed by the senses

… was turned to crystal and now sends out thought rays that allow it to cast spells through anyone struck by such a beam

… is nestled in the head of a flesh golem (or any other flavor of golem) and is completely insane though no less potent for it

… is a cloud of mystic ash that haunts the corridors of its old tower, attempting to enter people through the nose and mouth

… is a shimmering cascade of energy that runs along the cracks and crevices of walls and which, sometimes, can animate those walls (per mid-range earth elemental with magic-user spells)

… was powdered and stirred into your drink; it will turn your tongue bright purple and give you the ability to cast one spell that was stored in it when he died one time only

… is preserved within the body of a gelatinous cube, casting spells despite the lack of vocal cords or digits

… has become a viscous goo that lurks on ceilings, dropping on the unwary

… floats in astral space, sending out tendrils of quintessence into Astral, Ethereal and Material Planes to search for a new host

… has been imprinted in a glyph etched in gold that covers a vast chamber – people in contact with the gold get an electric shock (per shocking grasp) and become conduits for his spell casting and speech; they must pass a Bend Bars check to pull away from the electrified gold

The Living Wizard’s Brain …

… has become a mirror image of itself, its owner now speaking in reverse, walking in reverse and casting spells in reverse (i.e. they either have the reverse effect, or they are backward in time, the effect occurring before the casting)

… has a 1 in 100 chance per day of collapsing in on itself and becoming a black hole that sucks him and everything else into an alternate dimension

… is in constant contact with the divine via a contact higher plane effect; only he can hear these divine voices, and he is often heard saying “no, I wasn’t talking to you Thor, I was talking to somebody here” – he still doesn’t get the true benefit of the spell more than once per day

… demands chocolate at any price

… is a clockwork device that needs winding once per day – this involves sticking a crank in his ear; on the plus side, he’s immune to all traditional mind-altering spells and effects

… is split into two personalities; one is obvious and in control of the body, the other is subtle and acts via telekinesis

… is convinced that wall wasn’t there before … or was it?

… is slowly crystallizing, losing the ability to cast low level spells, but increasing the number of higher level spells each day (i.e. one day one, the magic-user can no longer cast first level spells, but he gains one additional spell per day of his highest level spells) until he can only cast his highest level spells – at this point, the inside of his head looks like a geode

… wants to be relieved of conscious thought as much as possible; each drink or drag of something alcoholic or narcotic gives him a 1 in 12 chance of going astral (per astral spell) and journeying to a higher plane

… suffers cleric envy

… sends out etheric vibrations that impose any condition it is experiencing on everyone else within 1 mile per the magic-user’s level (save allowed, of course)

… is three seconds ahead or behind everyone else in time- very disorienting

Beware the Genomes!

/ jstater / 5 Comments
Can stats for Spaceman Spiff be far behind?

Genomes are small humanoid aliens with highly variable features (highly variable!) because of their penchant for body modification. I’m not talking about tattoos and piercings, folks. I’m talking about genetic engineering, mutagenic gases and the grafting of flesh onto flesh.

The standard stock for these genetic whiz-kids is that of a small humanoid, about 3 to 4 feet tall, with slightly hunched shoulders, a large, sensitive nose (per super scent), skin ranging from nut-brown to creamy white and very bright, clear eyes that pierce the darkness per infra-vision. Due to the aforementioned body modifications, most have 1d3 different “mutations” in play. These mutations mimic the different special abilities of alien characters.

MUTATION
1 Increase random ability score by +1
2 Bulk
3 Climbing
4 Electrical Field
5 Leap
6 Multiple Arms
7 Multiple Legs
8 Stunning Grasp
9 Super Hearing
10 Super Vision

Genomes operate in bands of 2d4 individuals, always looking to harvest genetic material for their experiments. They are as capable as scientists in terms of identifying and operating super scientific devices, and always carry medi-kits and mutation-rays. Creatures struck by a mutation ray suffer 1d3 points of damage to a random ability score (1 = Str, 2 = Dex, 3 = Men, 4 = Kno) and must pass a Strength test (DC 10) or be transmogrified into a random monster under the control of the genome for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, the character can make a Mentality test (using their normal MEN score). If they succeed, they change back to normal. If not, they remain in their monster form, but are no longer under the control of the genome. If captured, the creature can be changed back to normal provided his or her comrades have captured a mutation ray gun (and figured out how to use it) or they have a scientist capable of designing a mutation ray gun (super science DC 25).

RANDOM MONSTER
1 Ankheg
2 Baric
3 Flail Snail
4 Gelatinous Cube
5 Giant Beetle
6 Giant Lizard
7 Giant Spider
8 Great Horned Ape
9 Killer Shrew
10 Random Alien Animal

GENOME: HD 1; DEF 15; FIGHT 4 (vibro-pick 1d8); SHOOT 6 (mutation ray); MOVE N; STR 3; DEX 5; MEN 4; KNO 8; DL 3; Special: Infra-vision, super scent, 1d3 mutations, mutation ray.

Random Domain Events for Blood and Treasure

/ jstater / 2 Comments

Writing up a couple sections of Blood & Treasure today. Came up with this table of events for high level characters ruling a domain.

Each month, the Referee should roll 1d6, a roll of 1 indicating that some random event has occurred. Determine the event on the table below by rolling d%:

ROLL EVENT
1-10 Arrival of a yeoman family looking for 20 acres to farm.
11-18 Departure of a yeoman family.
19-24 Arrival of a professional and his family looking for work.
25-30 Departure of a professional and his family.
31-36 Arrival of a mid-level (1d4+3) character wishing to pledge his loyalty to the lord or lady in exchange for 40 acres of land.
35-40 Departure of a vassal and his family.
41-46 Arrival of 3d6 pilgrims looking for succor. Roll their alignment on 1d6 (1-2 = Lawful, 3-5 = Neutral, 6 = Chaotic). They expect one night of hospitality from the lord.
47-49 Arrival of a tribe of humanoids looking for plunder and war. Use humanoids common to the area.
50-54 Arrival of human or demi-human lord and 2d6 followers looking for hospitality. The lord brings a valuable gift and expects to stay for 1d4 weeks.
55-57 Arrival of human army looking for conquest. The army should be powerful enough to challenge the lord or lady’s army.
58-60 Arrival of demi-human army looking to rid their land of the lord and his followers. The army should be powerful enough to challenge the lord or lady’s army.
61-63 Arrival of undead plague in village. Roll 1d10: 1-3 = Ghoul, 4-6 = Wight, 7-8 = Wraith, 9 = Spectre, 10 = Vampire.
64-66 Arrival of powerful monster in wilderness. The monster should represent a strong encounter (see Monsters below) for the lord or lady of the domain and his or her most powerful followers.
67 Ill weather ruins crops. No agricultural rents will be collected this year and food must be imported to keep people alive. If food is not imported, all yeomen and professionals leave and all serfs attempt to escape. Vassals have a 30% chance of leaving their lord or lady’s service. There is a good chance that the ill weather was caused by a monster or rival spellcaster
68-69 Arrival of king’s herald, demanding the lord and his knights go off to war.
70-74 Arrival of diplomat from neighboring fief offering alliance through marriage or demanding satisfaction for some real or imagined slight. 50-50 chance of either.
75 Earthquake damages castle. There is a good chance it was caused by a subterranean monster or rival spellcaster.
76 Comet sighted! The lord will suffer bad fortune for remainder of the year until a pilgrimage is undertaken to the nearest temple or sacred site and a sacrifice worth at least 1,000 gp per level of the lord or lady is made.
77 A member of the lord or lady’s family or retinue dies suddenly and mysteriously. There is a good chance it was caused by a monster or rival spellcaster.
78-80 A mine is discovered on the periphery of the lord’s holdings. Roll 1d20 to determine the product of the mine: 1-12 = base metal, 13-14 = copper, 15 = silver, 16 = gold, 17 = platinum, 18 = fancy stones, 19 = gems, 20 = jewels. There is a 50% chance it was discovered by the lord’s agents. Otherwise, it was discovered by prospectors who work it in secret.
81-85 Bandits plague the fief, hiding in the wilderness.
86 Pregnancy in the lord or lady’s family (ignore if circumstances do not lend themselves to such an event).
87-91 Arrival of traders who wish to set up a market. The traders bring with them exotic goods and useful news of the world.
92-96 Arrival of entertainers who wish to put on a show. There is a 1 in 6 chance they are not what they seem to be.
97 An inhabitant of the fief receives a mysterious vision.
98 There is an assassination attempt of the lord or one of the members of his family or retinue. The assassin has a level equal to to their target.
99 The lord or a member of his family or retinue is cursed by a high level spellcaster or monster.
100 A valuable item is stolen or a member of the lord’s family or retinue is kidnapped by a high level rival or monster

I tried to make sure that many of them are really just adventure hooks in disguise.

5th Edition D&D For Free

/ jstater / 6 Comments

Most of us have seen the claims – the new edition will join all the editions (and one ring to bind them?). “But how,” people ask, “how can such a thing be accomplished?”

Easy. Roll some dice.

The Land of Nod’s Handy Dandy D&D 5E Simulator

Here’s the deal, for each of the following items, roll 1d12 and use the rules from the corresponding edition.

Sections
I. Classes
II. Races
III. Equipment
IV. Spells (includes powers if you roll an 11 or 12)
V. Combat
VI. Monsters
VII. Treasure and Magic-Items

Roll d12 for Edition
1. OD&D
2. OD&D plus supplements
3. Holmes Basic
4. Moldvay Basic/Cook Expert
5. Mentzer BECMI
6. AD&D
7. AD&D 2nd edition
8. AD&D 2nd edition plus Complete Handbooks
9. D&D 3rd edition
10. D&D 3.5 edition
11. D&D 4th edition
12. D&D Essentials

Now, we have to figure out two more items – Feats and Skills. You’ll need a d6 and a d4.

Feats: 2 in 6 chance of feats
1. D&D 3rd edition
2. D&D 3.5 edition
3. D&D 4th edition
4. D&D Essentials

Skills: 3 in 6 chance of skills
1. D&D 2nd edition proficiencies
2. D&D 2nd edition + Complete Handbooks proficiencies
3. D&D 3rd edition skills
4. D&D 3.5 edition skills
5. D&D 4th edition skills
6. D&D Essentials skills

Ta-Da! You’re ready to play your campaign of 5th edition D&D without having to wait for them to release it, provided you’ve bought every other edition of D&D (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).

Let’s see how it works. For my first campaign of 5th edition, I’ll be using …

Classes from AD&D 2nd edition, plus all the handbooks for kits
Races from D&D essentials
Equipment from D&D 3rd edition
Spells from OD&D
Combat from D&D 3.5 edition
Monsters from AD&D
Treasure and Magic-Items from Moldvay/Cook D&D
Feats: D&D 4th edition
Skills: D&D 3rd edition

So, if you want to play a halfling thief with the buccaneer kit armed with a sunrod and kukri getting an attack of opportunity on Yeenoghu, then by golly, you’ll be in the right campaign!

Party On Dude (Random Party Events)

/ jstater
Painting by Frans Hals, 1623

Your adventures have been invited to a party – maybe its a halfling wedding, maybe a swank soiree with the aristocratic set or an intimate dinner party being thrown by a merchant prince you’d like very much to rob.

This is one of those tricky things to run in an RPG – there are just so many moving parts! So, why not a random table?

Roll once per hour per adventurer (or more often if you’d like), with an “event” happening on a roll of 1 on 1d4 during the first hour of the party, 2 in 4 during the second hour, 3 in 4 during the third hour, etc. Roll the event with a d20. Any event that doesn’t make sense for the particular circumstances of your party can be re-rolled.

ROLL d20
1. Insult the member of a chaotic cult / 1 in 6 chance it is an anti-cleric, who will curse you; otherwise a lay member who will report you to his superiors

2. Start a small fire / gain a permanent -1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

3. While snooping around, walk in on three burglars stealing jewels (or some other valuable) from the host

4. Walk in on the host or their significant others in flagrante dilecto with someone else

5. Uncover a plot of murder against a high noble or official – or maybe it’s just in your imagination

6. Horrify some folks with your stories of past adventures / gain a permanent -1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

7. Impress some folks with your stories of past adventures / gain a permanent +1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

8. Learn a valuable rumor while conversing with other party guests

9. Drink a bit too much / make a saving throw or become drunk and (1-2) make a scene – perhaps dancing on a table or removing too much clothing – and be escorted into the street, (3-4) pick a fight with an NPC with class levels, (5) wander outside and disappear for the night or (6) get sick in a potted plant. Either way, you gain a permanent -1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

10. Spill a drink on (1) the host or hostess, make a Charisma check to avoid being sent away in shame, (2-3) the largest, most violent person at the party, make a Charisma check to avoid a fight, (4-5) a seemingly mild-mannered man or woman who can make your life a misery, (6) your soul mate!

11. Make an important contact with a (1) friendly cleric, (2-3) wealthy merchant, (4) friendly magic-user (50% chance they are not what they seem), (5) petty noble or government official, (6) member of the local thieves’ guild. There is a 1 in 10 chance the person is actually a doppelganger trying to infiltrate your party or a vampire on the hunt for prey.

12. Make eyes at an attractive partygoer / 50% chance they are unattached; if not, make a Dexterity check to avoid the notice of their significant other (who either (1-3) makes a scene; (4) does nothing but fume or (5-6) has you severely beaten or killed – by themselves if they are capable, or by a gang of minions); if alone, you may approach and make a reaction check to see how they receive you

13. Cornered by a zealot who talks endlessly about subjects you know nothing about / Make a save vs. sleep; if you remain awake, make a Charisma check to extricate yourself from the conversation or this is your result for the next hour as well.

14. Get an impromptu lesson in some area of knowledge from an engaging expert / at some time during play, you can have a one-time bonus to miraculously know an important fact you otherwise would not
15. Quell an argument between two guests / gain a permanent +1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

16. Make a terrible faux pas, breaking a sacred taboo of the local culture / gain a permanent -2 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

17. Accidentally promise yourself in marriage to another guest or to their son, daughter or ward

18. Agree to look into a seemingly innocent (but actually very dangerous) problem of a party guest

19. Stand in the corner nursing a drink and interacting as little as possible / gain a permanent -1 reaction bonus with people at the party and others in their circles

20. Get challenged to a duel at dawn with an excitable party guest / 1 in 6 chance they have twice your levels as a fighter or magic-user; otherwise they are a 0-level loudmouth

Random Idol Generator

/ jstater / 9 Comments

Need a quick and (moderately) interesting idol for that forgotten temple? How about this …

Size (d8)
1. Tiny (1-ft. tall)
2. Small (3-ft. tall)
3-6. Medium (6 to 9 ft. tall)
7. Large (12 to 15 ft. tall)
8. Huge (20+ ft. tall)

Gender (d6)
1-2. Male
3-4. Female
5. Androgynous
6. Genderless

Head/Face (2d8)
2. Animal head
3. Ball of darkness
4. Ball of light
5. Beautiful
6. Bulbous (over-large)
7. Double faced (per Janus) or multi-headed (1d8+1 heads)
8. Grotesque
9. Handsome
10. Inverse pyramid
11. Long and narrow
12. Monstrous (angel, demon, dragon, medusa, etc.)
13. None (either chopped off (50% chance holding own head in hand) or never there)
14. Pinhead
15. Square
16. Wrinkled/aged

Eyes (2d8)
2. Blazing
3. Blindfolded
4. Cast light in beams
5. Closed
6. Cold and appraising
7. Faceted like an insect
8. Gems (1d6 x 100 gp each)
9. Gouged out
10. Jewels (1d6 x 1,000 gp each)
11. Joyful
12. Large and soft
13. Mournful
14. Multiple (d6)
1-3. Third eye in center of forehead
4-5. Four eyes (stacked)
6. Nine eyes radiating around head
15. Suspicious
16. Voids

Mouth (2d8)
2. Absent (i.e. no mouth)
3. Alluring
4. Beak or snout
5. Contorted with rage
6. Fanged
7. Grimace of pain
8. Muffled (hand clamped over it or bound by cloth)
9. Open wide in full-throated song or scream
10. Shy grin
11. Slit
12. Sly smile
13. Stoic and noble
14. Tongue sticking out
15. Toothless
16. Tusked

Position/Body (d12)
1. Animal (random animal or monster)
2. Dancing
3. Dying or sleeping
4. Enthroned
5. Hovering horizontally (face up or face down)
6. Kneeling
7. Locked in battle (with random monster)
8. Lotus position
9. Reclining
10. Running
11. Standing
12. Upon a mount (random animal or monster)

Features (d100)
01-02. Adorned with jewelry
03-05. Adorned with silks
06-07. Animated (per closest golem)
08-10. Beneath a waterfall
11-12. Carrying book or tome (1% chance of magic book, 10% chance of spellbook)
13-14. Carrying globe (1% chance of crystal ball)
15-17. Carrying instrument
18-19. Carrying lightning bolt (1% chance of javelin of lightning)
20-21. Carrying regalia
22-23. Carrying tool
24-25. Carrying weapon (1% chance of magic weapon)
26-27. Covered in chains or ropes
28-29. Covered in sheen or stains (blood, dung, holy oil, slime, wine)
30-31. Darkness, 10-ft. radius
32-34. Draped in garlands of flowers or herbs
35-36. Encased in ice or crystal
37-38. Energy drain (drains 1d3 levels when touched by wrong alignment)
39-41. Engraved or tattooed (10% chance of glyph of warding)
42-43. Ethereal
44-45. Fires beams of energy at unbelievers (as 10 HD monster, 6d6 damage)
46-48. Furry or hairy
49-51. Hollow (filled with fire, occupied by priest, etc.)
52-53. Long neck
54-55. Magic mouth (chants, screams, speaks)
56-57. Magic portal (opens gate or teleports people or sends them into Astral Plane)
58-60. Multiple arms (1d4 x 3)
61-62. Overgrown with fungus
63-64. Overgrown with vines
65-66. Oversized genitalia
67-69. Painted realistically
70-71. Scaled
72-73. Surrounded by aura of light
74-76. Surrounded by chained animals (lions, bears, etc.)
77-79. Surrounded by chained slaves or penitents
80-81. Surrounded by magic circle (random alignment)
82-83. Surrounded by magical music (1% chance of uncontrollable dancing)
84-85. Surrounded by moat (acid, alligators or piranha, bottomless pit, lava, molten metal, oil, ooze, perfume, portal into other world, spikes, water (holy or unholy), wine or spirits)
86-88. Surrounded by offerings
89-90. Surrounded by plumes of flame
91-92. Surrounded by spirits (ghosts, poltergeists, shadows, etc.)
93-94. Surrounded by vapors (laughing gas, narcotic, oracular, perfume, poison, stench)
95-97. Trapped with pit in front of it
98-99. Wearing armor (1% chance of magic armor)
100. Actual deity summoned when touched or spoken to

Material (d20)
1. Basalt
2. Granite
3. Marble
4. Porcelain/terracotta
5. Alabaster
6. Malachite
7. Porphyry
8. Obsidian
9. Iron/Steel
10. Bronze
11. Hepatizon
12. Brass
13. Copper
14. Silver (if large or huge, re-roll, taking this result if re-rolled)
15. Gold (if medium to huge, re-roll, taking this result if re-rolled)
16. Platinum (if small to huge, re-roll, taking this result if re-rolled)
17. Adamant (if small to huge, re-roll, taking this result if re-rolled)
18. Gemstone (if small to huge, re-roll, taking this result if re-rolled)
19. Light (holographic)
20. Flesh (via foul magic)

Metal idols have a 5% chance of being automatons in the classic sense of the word

How about some samples?

IDOL 1: A huge brass idol of a kneeling, androgynous figure. It’s head is a ball of darkness and it holds aloft a crown.

IDOL 2: A large idol of a genderless figure with a head shaped like an inverse pyramid (i.e. narrow chin, top of head large and flat). It has cold, appraising eyes and its mouth is hidden by its left hand. The figure is mounted atop a rearing dragon and surrounded by plumes of flame. The entire idol is carved from basalt.

IDOL 3: This medium idol depicts a dying man with a grotesque face and a mouth like the snout of a bat. It has large, empathetic eyes and its hands are folded over its chest. The idol is carved from obsidian and is encased in a block of ice.

Magical Prehistory Tour

/ jstater / 11 Comments

Dinosaurs. Awesome, right? Lots of them, though – hard to keep track, especially when scientists keep changing their darn minds about them (they’re brontosauruses because that name is cooler, and triceratops are so a species of dinosaurs, so shut up scientist man). Here’s a handy dandy guide to basic forms and a few handy “mutations” to keep your players guessing.

DINO TYPES

Not scientific, but just a quick batch of stats for some basic dino types. And yes – I already know it doesn’t cover everything, just the stuff that pops up most often in old dinosaur movies and the Flintstones.

CERATOPSIANS
These are the fellows with the lovely head fringes and horns, like triceratops. Assume the basic ceratopsian is about 30 feet long.

CERATOPSIAN: HD 15; AC 0 [19] front, 5 [14] back; Atk 1 gore (4d8); Move 12; Save 3; CL/XP 15/2900; Special: None.

PTEROSAURS
Technically not dinosaurs, but if they’re on the Flintstones, they’re close enough for me. These are the flyers. The basic pterosaur has a wingspan of about 15 feet and a length of about 5 feet.

PTEROSAUR: HD 5; AC 2 [17]; Atk 2 claws (1d4), 1 bite (2d8); Move 9 (Fly 24); Save 12; CL/XP 6/400; Special: None.

SAUROPODS
The big boys – quadrupeds with long necks who make little tremors when they walk. Assume that the basic sauropod is around 150 feet long.

SAUROPOD: HD 25; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 stomp (4d10); Move 9; Save 3; CL/XP 25/5900; Special: None.

THERAPODS
The therapods cover the bipedal carnivores, of which the T-Rex and Velociraptor are now the most famous. Assume that the basic therapod is huge in size (i.e. around 30 feet long). When a therapod bites prey, it grabs the victim in its jaws, shaking and chewing for automatic damage in subsequent rounds. Only victims with shells, bone frills, or spines can avoid the horrendous tearing damage.

THERAPOD: HD 18; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 bite (4d8); Move 18; Save 3; CL/XP 19/2400; Special: Chews and tears.

THYREOPHERANS
These are the quadruped armored or spiked dinosaurs, like stegosaurus and ankylosaurus. Assume that the basic thyreopheran is about 20 feet long.

THYREOPHERAN: HD 15; AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d8), 1 tail (4d6); Move 9; Save 3; CL/XP 15/2900; Special: None.

MUTATIONS
No more humdrum dinos for us, my friend. Let’s make them fabulous!

1D30 / MUTATION
1-2 Small and quick – reduce HD by half (and modify saving throws accordingly) and double their speed. In addition, they get a bonus to initiative (how much depends on what you roll, +1 if d6, +2 if d10, +3 if d20; if you roll d8, you’re weird and I just can’t help you). Decrease damage by one dice size.

3 Big and beefy – increase HD by 50%, cut movement in half and if they are at least 60 feet in length they can cause an earthquake (as the spell) once per day in a 100-ft radius. Increase damage by one dice size.

4 Red scales – dinosaur is immune to fire.

5 Blue scales – dinosaur is immune to lightning.

6 White scales – dinosaur is immune to cold.

7 Gold scales – dinosaur is immune to non-magic weapons and +2 to save vs. magic.

8 Black scales – dinosaur surprises on 3 in 6 at night, has darkvision.

9 Woolly – dinosaur has fur. This gives it a +1 bonus to AC and resistance (50%) to cold.

10 Massive Brain – dinosaur has high intelligence and can use a psychic blast (30-ft cone, save or stunned for 1d4 rounds) three times per day.

11 Draconic – as small and quick, plus dinosaur has dragon wings and the flight speed and breath weapon of a random dragon; 1 = Black; 2 = Blue; 3 = Gold; 4 = Green; 5 = Red; 6 = White. Dino-dragons can never speak or cast magic spells.

12 Spitter – can spit poison (30-ft range; save or blinded and 1d6 damage) or belch acid (10-ft cone, 2d6 damage).

13 Leaper – can leap up to 20 feet forward or 10 feet backward. When leaping to attack, treat as a charge.

14 Gorgonoid – has metallic scales as a gorgon; increase AC by +4.

15-16 Horns – has two horns or two extra horns; gains an additional gore attack for 2d6 damage.

17 Manticoroid – has tail spikes that can be fired like those of a manticore for 1d6 points of damage.

18 Displacement – per the mirror image spell (4 additional images), can be used three times per day.

19 Blink – per the blink dog.

20-21 Camouflage – surprises on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6.

22 Stone Cold Awesome – has a petrifying bite, per the cockatrice. Dinosaur can swallow and ingest the stone if a carnivore.

23 Laser eyes – can fire searing beams from eyes three times per day. Range of 60 feet, 3d6 points of damage, ranged attack required.

24 Scream – per the shout spell, usable three times per day.

25 Rider – dinosaur is ridden by a caveman bounty hunter (per dwarf fighter level 1d4+4). Rider wears the equivalent of leather armor and carries a club and three throwing spears.

26 Trill – dinosaur can trill as a remorhaz.

27 Song – dinosaur produces a vibration that causes sleep (as the spell). Usable three times per day.

28 Song – dinosaur produces a vibration that causes a charm monster effect. Usable three times per day.

29 Song – dinosaur produces a vibration that causes a hold monster effect. Usable three times per day.

30 Construct – dinosaur is made of metal and gears. Increase AC by +5. There is a 5% chance it can change its shape to that of a stone giant (also made of metal and gears, AC +5). Constructs are immune to mind effecting spells, poison and disease and take half damage from fire and lightning.

Have any other ideas? Put them in the comments – let’s take this table to 100!

—

Image from Golden Age Comic Book Stories, by the great Charles Knight.

Family Feuds

/ jstater / 4 Comments

The other day, I was thinking about fantasy cities and ways to define them. Most of my cities for NOD are done as a small section of the place with interesting personalities to run into, along with a run down on the ruler, high priest or priestess, etc. Just enough to make the place memorable and with a focus on something special that might bring the players hundreds of miles – the finest armorer in the region, a black market for stolen goods, etc.

The idea of a key industry crossed my mind – think of several industries and specialties and generate one specialty in one industry in which a city excels – i.e. if you want the best éclairs, you have to travel to Barnabas, the City of Eclairs. So, Barnabus would have a bunch of master bakers who produce the best éclairs in the universe, and in fact are so skilled they can bake magical effects into their éclairs (i.e. magic potions). Barnabas would have many excellent normal bakers as well, and to support the baking industry would need associated industries like milling, farming, orchards, jelly makers, beet growers, spice merchants, etc. As I played with working this into a system, I realized that it was breaking my #1 rule for NOD – focus on adventuring. This industry stuff was interesting, but how was this forwarding the goal of sending players on adventures? Putting an hour of work into generating some demographics that will never lead to one daring sword fight, swing across a chasm, assassination attempt, kidnapping or plundered treasure horde just doesn’t make sense to me when we’re working at creating an adventure game.

One thing that did come to me, though, was the idea of rival families. You see, when I was thinking about different medieval industries, merchants came to mind. But how does a city specialize in merchants? Well, maybe banking – but every city needs merchants. And then I thought about great merchant families, and the Montagues and Capulets came to mind and I thought – you know what every fantasy city needs – rival families. Three families at least – one the most powerful, the other the bitter rival and the third the up-and-comer playing one off the other. That can lead to adventures, as players get involved with these folks and their endless machinations. With that in mind …

STEP ONE – THE FAMILY

Every family has a head – the man and woman who holds the legal reins. We need to determine how old they are and what they can do. In this case, all of these families are going to be mercantile in nature. All family heads are going to be venturers. Their level depends on their generation: Adult 1d6+1, Mature 1d8+2 and Old 1d10+3.

1-3. Adult (25 to 35 years old)
4-5. Mature (36 to 55 years old)
6. Old (56 + years old)

Now we need to roll 1d6 for the family head’s siblings. Each sibling has a 50/50 chance of being male or female and comes from the same generation as the head of the family. We’ll presume that any older family members are dead, or else they would be in the leadership position.

The siblings are probably nondescript merchant types or venturers, but might be something else. Roll to find out for sure. At the same time, roll a 1d4 to figure out their general personality.

OCCUPATION

1-6. Merchant (0-level)
7-10. Trader (3 HD)
11-13. Venturer
14. Sage
15-16. Artisan
17. Thief or Assassin
18. Magic-User or Illusionist
19. Cleric* or Druid
20. Fighter or Duelist (1% chance of a paladin)

* Clerics worship as follows: 01-70 – Deity of Trade or Wealth; 71-90 – Lawful Deity that might frown on some business practices; 91-100 – Chaotic Deity/Demon/Devil

PERSONALITY
1. Sanguine (impulsive, pleasure-seeking, sociable, emotional, creative, compassionate)
2. Choleric (ambitious, leader-like, aggressive, passionate, energetic, dominating)
3. Melancholy (introverted, thoughtful, pondering, considerate, artistic, perfectionists)
4. Phlegmatic (relaxed and quiet, lazy, content, kind, accepting, affectionate, shy)

For those with class levels, roll them as follows:

Young* – 1d4
Adult – 1d6
Mature – 1d8
Old – 1d10

* For children of adults

75% of males and females are married and have 1d4-1 children. Each siblings mate is (1-4) from the same generation or (5) one generation older or (6) one generation younger. The children are all from one generation younger than the younger partner in the marriage. Roll up the children’s personalities and occupations as well, unless the children are from the generation younger than “Young”, in which case they are too young to have an occupation.

For each person in the family, roll up their Charisma score as well on 3d6.

Adult or older children of the siblings have the same chance as the siblings as being married with children. Young children of the siblings have a 50% chance of being married and have 1d3-1 children.

STEP TWO – ASSETS

Each of these mercantile families has core assets dependent on the number and age of the family members (not including spouses). Each family also has a town house for the head of the family and each sibling, and the necessary servants for each town house (butler/valet, cook, upstairs maid, etc.)

Young – 1d20 x5 gpAdult – 1d20 x 10 gp
Mature – 1d20 x 50 gp
Old – 1d20 x 100 gp

In addition, the family gets 1d4+1 rolls on the following table of special assets.

ASSETS
1. Tied by blood to a noble family – the head of the family is a (1-3) 3rd cousin, (4-5) 2nd cousin or (6) first cousin to a (1-4) baron, (5-6) count or (7) duke or (8) king.
2-3. Tied by marriage to a noble family – replace the head’s spouse or one of the sibling’s spouses with a person of noble blood (as above).
4-9. Owns a caravan of 2d6 wagons or elephants or 4d6 camels to a nearby city
10-15. Owns a merchant galley that travels to a nearby city
16-20. Owns a caravan of 3d6 wagons or elephants or 6d6 camels that travels to a far away city
21-25. Owns a merchant cog that travels to a far away city
26-27. Owns a valuable heirloom that is (1-3) a major piece of jewelry, (4-5) a major gem or (6) a minor magic item
28-30. Owns 2d4 fine horses
31-33. Owns 3d6 fine hounds
34-36. Owns 3d6 fine falcons
37-38. Owns a single magical beast
39-40. Has a hired magic-user (roll 1d4+1 for level); all family members can cast a single non-offensive 1st level magic-user spell per day
41-43. Has a hired assassin (roll 1d4+1 for level); all family members carry vials of mild poison
44-48. Has a hired duelist (roll 1d4+1 for level); all family members +1 to hit and damage with rapiers
49-50. Has a hired gourmand (roll 1d4+1 for level)
51-55. Owns a fine manse in the city (1d6+6 rooms)
56-59. Owns a fine mansion in the city (1d10+10 rooms)
60-62. Owns a fine villa or manor in the country (1d8+8 rooms)
63-66. Owns a fabled wine cellar (total value of 3d10 x 100 gp)
67-70. Owns a fabled art collection (total value of 3d10 x 100 gp)
71-74. Owns a fabled armor and weapon collection (3d6 pieces, all masterwork and legendary)
75-78. Has a seat on the city council
79-80. Has a seat on the king’s privy council
81-83. Has master of the local merchant’s guild
84-85. Has a dark family secret
86-88. 1d4 x 10,000 sp in additional assets
89-90. 1d3 x 1,000 gp in additional assets
91. 1d2 x 100 pp in additional assets
92-95. Has a letter of marquee from the king
96. Suffers under a family curse
97. Enjoys a family blessing (an ancestor was a saint or martyr)
98. Has an infamous (and rumored) torture chamber
99. Has an infamous (and rumored) cabinet of horrors
100. Has an infamous (and rumored) shrine to a demon or devil lord

SAMPLE FAMILY: THE MONTFLEURS

Arnou Montefleur – Sanguine 4th level Venturer, Adult

Arnou has two sisters:

Gallia is a phlegmatic, adult trader (3 HD) married to Merlin, a young merchant. They have three infant sons, Merlin, Arnou and Delmar.

Allyriane is a sanguine, adult duelist (1st level) married to Octave, an adult merchant. They have three young children, Tristan (3 HD trader), Therese (3 HD trader) and Fleurette, a goldsmith.

The families assets are 10,000 sp and 310 gp in cash money, locked away in the family’s town house.

The family also owns a caravan of 5 wagons that travels to a far away city, 8 fine hounds, a merchant galley and, though this is only rumored, a shrine to the devil Mammon in their cellar (it’s really behind a sliding wall in their dining room).

Notable Nobles – Part the Last

/ jstater

Finally, we come to the last post in the series on noble nicknames, this time with dwarf nobles. I went all out on this one and gave each three nicknames – hey, maybe dwarves like their nicknames.

WILDGRAVE OGMUND the Standard Bearer, the Tempest, White Shirt

Ogmund is a ragged, wild-haired dwarf who dwells in the rugged borderlands on the edge of the dwarf kingdom, lands invaded regularly by the goblin races, ettins and trolls. A famed giant-slayer, he is a loyal companion of Jarl Vagn, having gone on many adventures into the giant country with his father, Vagr, when they were both young dwarfs with much to prove. Ogmund’s nephew, Skapti, is rarely far from his side save when Ogmund’s berserkergang comes upon him. His retinue also includes three chroniclers, two dwarf warriors and their sergeant, Odi and Ljot, a 5th level fighter who serves as his champion and bailiff. Ogmund always dresses in a white tunic and white, hooded cloak.

OGMUND: HD 9 (52 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 9 (12 out of armor); Save 5; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Double normal number of followers, immune to fear, berskerer.

THEGN INGIRID the Treacherous, the Usurper, the Well-Served

Ingirid is the half-sister of Jarl Vagn and his most hated rival. Hated by most of her kin due to her treachery and her dealing with the goblins and orcs, she nevertheless holds fortitided iron mines in the southern mountains that keep her wealthy and influential. Her consort is Vandrad, an exile from the Jarl’s court, two scribes and one orc sergeant, Forox. Her minions are very loyal.

INGIRID: HD 5 (23 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 9 (12 out of armor); Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Treasure as CL 15, low charisma (6), cast bane (reverse of bless) once per day, +1 morale bonus to soldiers.

JARL VAGN the Springer, Star of the North, the Tail

Jarl Vagn is the young, dashing king of the dwarfs, having taken the throne when his father Vagr finally passed into the halls of his ancestor. Vagn is a lover of gold and luxury, unlike his more stern father, but his glib tongue, handsome features and strong sense of justice have kept him popular with all but his half-sister Ingirid. Vagn is accompanied by the berserker Bersi, the shieldmaiden Hlif (who drives him mad with desire), four clarks (one a 3rd level fighter/thief in service to Ingirid), five dwarf warriors and their sergeant, Olaf the Round.

VAGN: HD 2 (12 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 9 (12 out of armor); Save 16; CL/XP 2/60; Special: Triple normal number of followers, treasure as CL 20, +2 initiative, +2 to all attacks and saves.